Embers
by cloverlover
Summary: The road ahead of them was clear, free of pain and terror, now that Lord Voldemort was dead. Here stood the Golden Trio, scarred, but alive. And they all knew, in that moment, just what all three of them were thinking - finally.


Embers

_There were days when each hour was a war I fought to survive__  
__There were nights full of nightmares, and I dreaded closing my eyes__  
__There were skies that burst open with a downpour to drown me alive__  
__But the world took a spark like a match in the dark_

_And the fire brought me to life_

_So I'm fanning the flames to climb so high__  
__Cuz there's no other way we can stay alive_

It was over. Harry sat and surveyed the mass of debris and ruin about him, cleaning up what he could with his newly-mended wand. The holly wood felt right, comfortable inside his hand. The Elder Wand, meanwhile, was stowed away so no one could ever retrieve it. Ron and Hermione were standing on either side of him, both wearing the same expressions on their tired, bloodied faces – relief.

All those times they had spent together, saving each other's necks from trolls, dementors, giants and what other horrors their world had in store for them, camping out in various locations all over England and destroying those Horcruxes…Harry could see that it was all worth it now. No more blood was to be shed from this day forward. No one was to sacrifice their lives for him again.

And what was he going to do now? Perhaps things would return to normal. The word sounded strange in his mind… he didn't think he would ever be able to lead a normal life, but now it seemed remotely possible. Perhaps he would visit Godric's Hollow again and collect what was left of his old home, find Dumbledore's grave and lay some flowers there, then he could return to the Burrow and have a good meal and sleep. He was going to see Ginny again… his heart leapt and a small smile crept up onto his face, imagining her expression when she would finally be in his arms once more. They had survived the war together, and he was thankful like never before.

And what of Hogwarts? He knew after all that had happened, he wasn't going to return there to finish his studies. He wasn't very keen on studying for N.E.W.T. level when he had just defeated the greatest Dark wizard of all time. He knew Hermione would probably want to, but he wasn't Hermione. Yes, all he wanted to do now was rest and forget about all that had happened, or at least, save it in the back of his mind to be told as an entertaining story many, many years later.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO__

_So we're burning bright as we all unite__  
__And when it's all said and done__  
__We'll shine like the sun_

_So don't let the fire die___

_And we'll watch the sky as it fills with light__  
__And though the embers are new, whatever you do_

_Just don't let the fire die_

_Blimey_, thought Ron. He was glad they were done. Now all he had to do was find the rest of his family, and tell them how thankful he was that they were all together. The battle had been long, and Ron winced at the scrapes and bruises which had accumulated from various curses the other side had thrown at him, but here he was, alive and well.

Best of all, he had kissed the girl of his dreams, who was less than two feet away from him and smiling weakly at the Hogwarts grounds. He hadn't been this happy since…well, since forever. He had always _known _that they had feelings for each other, it was only a matter of time before both of them would admit it. And now he had her.

He was going to miss them; the people who had died. He wasn't going to forget them in a hurry – his heart gave a little pang as he thought of the pain George and the rest of his family was going through right this second, and when he looked around him he could feel the pain of all the families huddling together to mourn their losses, because he understood. He even missed Snape to an extent. He didn't know what Harry had seen in the Pensieve, but it had changed him for sure. Now when he mentioned Snape and said anything close to something bad about him, Harry would defend him like he was a saint or something. Ron wanted to know what had happened there, but he trusted that Harry would tell him at some point.

He had always trusted that Harry would lead him in the right direction. And he had. They had won.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO__

_And you'll find there'll be mornings when the ashes and embers are cold__  
__But you'll find with a passion and you'll never stop cause you know__  
__Yeah you know it gets better_

_And your story is yet to be told__  
_

_Every push, every shove__  
__Every war, every love__  
__Yeah the coals are beginning to glow_

Hermione Granger knew that in years to come, the events of the Battle of Hogwarts would be written and chronicled in countless books. The children of the next generation were going to find out about it, too. If she ever had any children… but those matters would be dealt with later, she told herself, as she stowed the thought carefully away to ponder upon later. Though what remained of Hogwarts was dusty and crumbling with bits of stone in various states of destruction, it looked rather peaceful, somewhat. She knew in her heart that all was over now, and they had pulled through…she had Ron beside her, Harry had returned from death's doors, and she couldn't think of anything else which could have made her happier than she was now.

There were still many things to be done. Unfinished business, such as finding her parents, who were somewhere in Australia, waiting for the Memory Charm she had placed on them to be lifted. She shivered inwardly, hoping they were all right – but they would be, surely the Death Eaters wouldn't think of finding them there, so they must be safe. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of seeing them again, seeing their faces as they recognized her as their daughter once more, and saying her name like they always did in that affectionate way no other person ever did, not even Ron.

Then, perhaps, when she was ready, she would return to Hogwarts. Hermione knew she had to – she couldn't bear not finishing her studies, it was an insult to her own personality. She wasn't going to care if Ron or Harry teased her about it, and she wouldn't be alone. She was sure Ginny and Luna were going back, too, and they would be in the same year together, studying for the N.E.W.T.s. To think of exams, when she had just fought through a long battle… Hermione chuckled under her breath and looked up towards the sky.

The road ahead of them was clear, free of pain and terror, now that Lord Voldemort was dead. Here stood the Golden Trio, scarred, but alive. And Hermione knew, in that moment, just what all three of them were thinking.

_Finally._

**Author's Note:**

**This was inspired by "Embers" by Owl City. **


End file.
